The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has partnered with a Spanish engineering firm in an effort to link Camiguin Island to the Mindanao power grid.

In a statement, NEA said it signed a feasibility study contract with Osprel SL, a Madrid-based engineering consultancy, to conduct electrical, bathymetric, meteorological, and environmental studies to assess the viability of providing a reliable energy supply from Mindanao to Camiguin.

Under the agreement, NEA and Osprel will explore a submarine-based connection to support project development, future construction, and the integration of renewable energy on the island.

Camiguin, located in the Bohol sea off the northern coast of Mindanao, is currently managed by its electric cooperative (EC), Camiguin Electric Cooperative (CAMELCO).

NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda and Maria Inmaculada Blázquez Garcia, Osprel chief executive officer, formally signed the agreement on Tuesday, May 6, alongside the Department of Energy (DOE) assistant secretary Mylene Capongcol and Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Migue Utray Delgado.

“This is a meticulous and technically demanding endeavor, but it is precisely what we need if we want to move forward with real solutions and build lasting and sustainable progress,” Almeda said.

While the timeline of the agreement and the process were undisclosed, Capongcol explained that the Esperanza-Liong submarine cable would help secure the island’s energy sufficiency.

“By replacing the aging 13.2 kilovolt (kV) line currently servicing Camiguin, the proposed 69 kV submarine cable will address long-standing voltage instability, significantly reduce system losses, and ultimately bring down electricity costs for the people of Camiguin,” she said.

“It will [also] enable the full integration of RE from the 100 megawatt (MW) Owakan Wind power project, allowing green power to flow into the Mindanao grid,” Capongcol added.

She also said this partnership would help contribute to the government’s decarbonization goals.

According to the DOE, the Government of Spain has helped fund the initiative through the Fondo para la Internacionalizacion de la Empresa (FIELM) Studies Grant Facility.

“This invaluable support will finance the feasibility study for the submarine interconnection between the islands of Camiguin and Mindanao,” Capongcol added.